


Fairy Tales in the Aquarium

by spectrum_sanctuary



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: All the sea creatures I can mention, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Aquariums, Dolphin trainer Mikleo, Dolphins, Fluff, I'm not kidding, Janitor Sorey, M/M, Romance, Sharks, Sormikweek2018, This is a fairy tale story, my attempt at humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-21
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-06-30 10:15:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15749637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spectrum_sanctuary/pseuds/spectrum_sanctuary
Summary: “I see you’ve also been ensnared by our Siren, huh, Sorey?”“H-huh?” Sorey turned his head towards his friend, green eyes glazed over. “… Did you say something, Rose?”The red-haired girl laughed out loud in response. “Wow, it’s THAT bad already?” She slapped his back. “Not that I blame you. That’s HIS nickname among the staff for a reason.”





	Fairy Tales in the Aquarium

**Author's Note:**

> *arrives to Sormikweek2018 late with a cup of hot chocolate because I don't drink coffee*
> 
> From the spectrum-sanctuary Cliche Romantic Attempt-at-Comedy Modern AU Productions comes another short multi-chapter fic starring our favourite pair of dorks! Please accept my apologies, and this humble offering with the unimaginative title. I hope you all will enjoy this as well!

“I see you’ve also been ensnared by our Siren, huh, Sorey?”

“H-huh?” Sorey turned his head towards his friend, green eyes glazed over. “… Did you say something, Rose?”

The red-haired girl laughed out loud in response. “Wow, it’s THAT bad already?” She slapped his back. “Not that I blame you. That’s HIS nickname among the staff for a reason.”

Sorey looked away from her, partly to not let her see that his cheeks were bright red from the embarrassment and partly because his eyes would rather be blessed laying their sight on the _very pretty_ light-haired guy in a black wetsuit, standing by the edge of the pool of the show stadium down below, throwing fish to a pair of dolphins. The trainer coaxed the dolphins to stick their heads out of the water as the broadcast speakers incited the crowd to anticipate an oncoming big trick. The trainer, face intensely focused and serious, quickly waved to the small crowd, after which Sorey heard more than a couple of female voices going “KYAAA!!!”  He blew on the whistle hanging around his neck, then tapped each dolphin’s forehead, before the pair turned around and surged under the water. To Sorey and the crowd’s surprise, the guy dived into the water after them. All seemed calm for a moment before a dolphin jumped out of the water, doing a fancy flip in the air. When it landed back in the pool, its partner surged out with perfect timing. Several people clapped in delight once the second dolphin splashed back under the water, but the trick was not over.

The first dolphin jumped out once again, but this time, it wasn’t alone. Amazingly, the dolphin trainer, who’d been on its back before it broke the water, was launched high in the air from the surge. Sorey stared in amazement as the trainer did a flip in the air with the same grace as his animal partners, almost hallucinating that the trainer had a mermaid tail instead of a pair of legs. As he was headed down, the second dolphin lunged from the water to catch him in mid-air, and the human and aquatic mammal landed back toward the pool with a splash.

Roars of delight and awe arose from the crowd and Sorey found himself clapping along with them before he realized it. The dolphins were cool, but Sorey was more impressed by the trainer. “He’s so amazing!”

 _And so pretty_ , his mind supplied.

Rose watched her star-struck friend with amusement. “Yep, you’re definitely enchanted. Good luck to you though, lover-boy. You’ll need it if you’re going to pursue him, since you’ll have to deal with his dedicated fangirl squad.” She gestured towards the group of girls who were squealing earlier… _and were still at it_. “They’ll skin you alive and throw you to the shark tunnel if you attempt to snatch their Prince Charming from them.” A sigh escaped her lips. “Dezel says his charges get indigestion from that.”

Sorey honestly could not tell if she was joking or not. He rubbed the back of his head nervously. “Umm… It’s not like I’m going to be courting him.” His voice sounded faint to his own ears, but he truly didn’t fancy becoming shark bait. “I’m not sure I’ll even get to talk to him. I’m just a janitor, after all.”

Yep, just a poor, simple, uneducated young man from up in the mountains, come down to the city to find a way to earn money for medicine for his ailing mother. His knowledge and status were far beneath the others in this aquarium.

“Ohoho?~” Rose put a hand to her cheek, lips stretching into a Cheshire Cat-smile. “So you’re just going to look at him from afar and pine like a tragic lovestruck idiot for the duration of your work?”

“Th-that’s… Well…” Sorey averted his eyes from her. “I guess?” There wasn’t any other scenario, right? He was respectful enough not to suddenly approach a guy he didn’t know beyond his face, even if he thought that face was the most attractive he’s ever seen.

“Ugh, that’s not how fairy tales are supposed to go!”

“… Huh, what?” 

* * *

 

After a couple of weeks of working as a janitor at aquarium, Sorey had gotten a feel for the place and the people working there. The environment was very casual, people were happy about their work, and it was very clear that they cared for the animals properly in the place. An ideal and satisfying work environment, as far as Sorey was concerned.

It was saddening to know that the aquarium was going through hard times, though. He was told that the number of visitors and tourists was dwindling, even during the supposed peak season, and aside from the really dedicated fangirl squad, _ahem_ , people who come to watch the dolphin show. And it wasn’t exactly for natural reasons. He’d learned earlier on of the dark problem of the business operations in this place.

The aquarium was owned by the Diphda Corporation, but the big company had no interest in maintaining the place, preferring to invest in the manufacturing business. Only the youngest daughter of the Diphda family, Alisha, even cared about keeping the place running.

But that wasn’t enough for their biggest enemy, a member of the corporate board directors named Bartlow. Oh no. The old bastard actively and sneakily kept sending his lackeys to stir up trouble and drama in the aquarium, scaring away visitors and tourists. Alisha did her best to get them to stop, but there was not much she could do with Bartlow unafraid of her and being more influential than she was.

As such, the aquarium had to cut costs and reduce the number of staffs, which led to Sorey being the only one they could find who was willing to work as the lone janitor. It was hard work cleaning up the entire place by himself, but he managed.

Which is why, as he kept on reminding a persistently teasing Rose, his courtship of the aquarium’s (and possibly the whole city’s) most gorgeous employee was not a priority, much less a possibility.

But Rose just placed her hands on his shoulders, affixed him a solemn look, and told him to watch some Disney movies.

Before Sorey could tell her that his cheap, run-down apartment did not have a television, she let herself get pulled away by the Talfryn twins who came up with the news that Bartlow’s henchmen were making a mess again.

Sighing, Sorey picked up his bucket of water on one hand and adjusted his hold on the mop in the other, starting to walk in the direction that the trio went to. It was good that Rose and her ‘Sparrowfeathers Fighting Club’ were able to somehow kick out the bad guys (her group were seriously the only reason Bartlow hadn’t taken over the place by now) but he honestly hoped she could at least reduce the blood splatter that he had to clean up afterwards as quickly as possible so that the visitors wouldn’t think the aquarium had turned into a haunted house.

Maybe that was just really a _normal_ part of this job that he had to learn to live with. 

* * *

 

Another unexpected part of his job that Sorey had slowly learned was dealing with little children.

Not a day went by without a child among the small visitor count. Perhaps that wasn’t supposed to be unusual, as the aquarium was both an educational and recreational place. And while it was uplifting to see the adorable little kids having fun playing with the marine animals and marveling at the exhibits, they did come with their fair share of trouble.

Not a day went by without Sorey having to mop up some child’s spilled food or drink. And the trash was everywhere. He had slowly gotten used to the times wherein, he would clean one area, and then come back to it one hour later and find it messy again. That’s why, despite the simplicity of his job (in comparison to the other employees), it was harder than it seemed to be. But Sorey persevered through the menial labor, doing his best to keep up his enthusiasm and his smile every single day.

The latter was important in the situation he was currently facing, an occasional but inevitable occurrence at the aquarium.

Sorey crouched down in front of a young blonde boy that was crying in a corner of the pengyon hall. “Hey there.” The boy looked up, panic and fear clear in his face but Sorey’s bright smile made him stop sniffling and look back in curiosity. “I’m Sorey, I work here at the aquarium.” He pointed to the logo on his shirt for proof. “Why are you out here crying by yourself?”

The little boy wiped at his eyes. “I… I just wanted to see the pengyons. So I came here with Auntie Velvet. A-and now I don’t know where she is.”

Sorey kept his voice steady yet soft. “Did you try looking for her?”

“I…” The boy lowered his head and mumbled, “I was too scared to walk around by myself…”

“I see…” Sorey slowly held out his hand. “Shall we go look for her together then?”

The boy gasped softly. There was wariness in his light green eyes, but it dissipated soon enough under the weight of Sorey’s unwavering, warm aura. He put his hand over Sorey’s, traces of tears still in his eyes but a happier expression brightening up his cherubic face. “Okay!”

Sorey widened his smile and firmly but carefully wrapped his hand around the little boy’s smaller, softer hand. “Let’s go then!”

Unbeknownst to Sorey, a pair of violet eyes bearing interest watched at him from a distance. 

* * *

 

“Hey, you’re Sorey, right?”

“Yes?” Sorey paused in his sweeping of the crustacean exhibit hall and turned to the red-haired guy who called him.

“I’m Mason!” His grin was friendly, and so infectious that Sorey couldn’t help smiling back. “Sorry I didn’t get to meet up with you earlier, but I was on vacation for a while.”

“Don’t worry about it!” Sorey replied. “And that sounds nice, I hope you had a good time.”

Mason’s smile widened. “Thanks! Heh, they were right, you’re a good guy.”

Sorey rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “I didn’t realize that was such a big deal.”

“It’s a compliment on you.” Now it was Mason’s turn to look bashful. “Sorry if this sounds sudden, but could you help me out with cleaning?”

Sorey quickly tried to ease that with a smile of his own. “Sure!” That was his job, anyway. “But… I already agreed earlier to help out Sergei and Boris with cleaning up the sea lion stage after this, so I might not get to help you immediately, though.”

“Nah, that’s all right.” Mason patted Sorey’s shoulder. “There’s no rush to do it, so just come over when you’re free.” He backed off. “We’ll have plenty more time to talk then, I’m sure.” He turned to leave with a wave of his hand. “See you at the dolphin pool!”

“All right…” Sorey trailed off once he replayed Mason’s last words over his head. _The dolphin pool_?

A strangled squeak erupted from his throat.

He’d never been into the dolphin pool before.

After all, a certain ethereal human being was supposedly working there. One that was so out of Sorey’s league and thus he did not feel worthy to be approaching. Strangely enough, he’d been called out to help clean nearly every other exhibit and marine animal enclosure except for that one. So, the fact that he was wary of entering it didn’t really pose a problem before. But now, it looks like he didn’t have a choice, since he promised Mason.

He could only hope he’ll survive. 

* * *

 

Sorey barely made it in front of the door to the dolphin pool in one piece.

That might have to do with how nervous and unfocused he’d been during the entire time he was helping Sergei and his brother because he couldn’t get the looming visit to the dolphin pool out of his brain. His lack of concentration led to him nearly getting tackled by an enthusiastic sea lion, but thankfully he got spared from being squashed with the keepers’ timely interference.

The incident got Sergei concerned enough to ask him if he was feeling ill, but Sorey assured them he was just fine, trying his best to hide his anxiety for the rest of the sea lion stage cleaning.

Unfortunately, it had finished much quicker than Sorey hoped it would be, and soon he had to make his way to the dolphin pool with heavy steps, like he was a prisoner being led to his execution. With the possible scene that could take place once he entered, he felt that might not be far off.

He took a deep breath, but it barely calmed his nerves. Deciding that he could not spend the rest of the day just standing here, he pushed himself to finally knock on the door.

A few seconds later, the door swung open to reveal Mason, who had changed from his shirt and shorts earlier into a wetsuit. “You’re finally here! That’s great! Come on in!” He held the door open for Sorey to walk in slowly, lugging his cleaning supplies with him.

Sorey’s eyes scanned the room, finding it not much different from the other animal enclosures. The pool in the middle, the stack of crates and props around it…

“Are you looking for someone?”

Sorey jolted, turning to find Mason sporting an amused smile. He repeated Mason’s question over in his head and immediately blushed. “N-no, I’m not!”

However, Mason just laughed good-naturedly as he clapped Sorey’s back. “No need to be shy, I won’t judge you or anything. Everyone here is already used to people being attracted to him so we’re not surprised.”

“Oh…” Sorey felt a sense of relief but some embarrassment still lingered. How come almost everyone in this aquarium knew he had a crush? Was he that obvious or did Rose gossip about it?

“Yeah. Unluckily for you though, he’s not here today because he has classes.”

Sorey was still undecided about that ‘lucky’ bit, because he got spared from the encounter he was not mentally prepared for, at least. “He’s still a student?”

“Graduate student at Marlind University.” Mason began walking towards the corner of the room, Sorey following him on instinct.

“Seriously? I heard that’s a very prestigious university.” When he was young, Sorey had dreams of studying there. But his simple, mountain life and his mother’s illness could not possibly afford it.

“That’s true, but he’s pretty smart. He got there on scholarship. But you know even if he didn’t have that, he could still get in anyway.” Mason began taking out some brushes out of a box. “Very few people know this, but he’s actually very rich. His uncle’s a powerful guy around these parts.”

“Wow…” Everything he’s learning today about his crush only made Sorey realize just how big the gap between their status is. A question rose to his mind that he couldn’t help voicing. “If he’s rich, how come he still works here?”

Surprisingly, Mason let out a loud laugh. Sorey paused in his movements, wondering if he said anything funny. His wonder was cut short once Mason stopped laughing and answered, “I remember asking him the same question long ago. And his reply was that he just liked the dolphins.” Mason pointed to the nearest wall. “You can start scrubbing there by the way, I’ll take care of cleaning the pool and feeding these guys.” Sorey nodded and picked up the brushes and rags whilst Mason walked to the edge of the pool.

But even as they started cleaning, the conversation kept on. Mason patted the dolphins that emerged from the water’s surface. “You may think those are just empty words of a rich kid, but not him. He cleans the room and feeds and trains these two. You would think that with his wealth, that kind of manual labor is beneath him but boy was I surprised to see him work so hard at it.” He reached into a nearby bucket and began tossing fish at the two animals.

Sorey kept his pace, although he was pondering Mason’s words. It was personal information he never thought he’d ever get about the boy he figured he’d always be staring at from afar. And now, rather than some vague being, Sorey felt like the other was a real person.

“Do you perform tricks with the dolphins too, Mason?”

Sorey looked over upon hearing a loud splash, in time to see Mason break his head out on the water’s surface. “No, that’s all him. I’m more of the animal keeper. I can swim with them and all, but those fancy jumps are beyond my capabilities.”

“Oh, I see.” No matter how many times he watched the dolphin show (or at least managed a glimpse of while he was working), it never failed to take his breath away. Hearing that from Mason showed just how talented and amazing the guy was.

After that, the two settled into a comfortable silence as they focused on their respective tasks. Time passed by without them really thinking about it, and they only noticed once the room was sparkling clean and organized.

“Good work, Sorey!” Mason patted the younger’s shoulder approvingly.

“Thanks.” Sorey beamed back, feeling happy despite the sweat clinging to him and the fatigue starting to set into his muscles.

Mason nodded. “This was your first time, but I think you have an idea now what’s involved in cleaning the dolphin pool, right? So, can I count on your help for the next time, too?”

“Of course!” 

* * *

 

“Thanks for your help, Sorey!”

Sorey smiled brightly. “No problem, Dr. Mathis! See you tomorrow!”

He waved back at the black-haired veterinarian as he closed the door behind him. Setting his cleaning supplies against the wall, Sorey took a deep, calming breath before pulling out a list from his pocket. “All right, the pengyon enclosure’s done. So that leaves…” His eyes scrolled past the names that were crossed out, leaving only the bottom one still unmarked. “… the dolphin pool, huh.”

The name of the place didn’t strike nerves in him anymore. Instead, the name evoked memories of several days’ worth of fun, relaxing chatter with Mason as they went about cleaning the place. And so, he casually made his way there with his supplies. After the many times they have cleaned together, he and Mason had already established a routine for the cleaning. Mason had given him the go-ahead to enter the room on his own and start cleaning even if he wasn’t there and it worked just fine ever since.

Lulled by the routine and idle thoughts of the day’s work and his plans for when he got home, Sorey entered the dolphin pool room without hesitation. He closed the door behind him and began to cross the room to go to where the other cleaning supplies were stored.

He'd just barely taken a step forward, however, when he promptly yelped and backpedaled till his back met the door.

For standing a few feet away, box of stuff in arms, was none other than Ladylake Aquarium’s Siren himself.

Frankly, this is the closest that Sorey’s ever gotten to looking at him directly. After all, it had always been from afar, watching him perform at the dolphin show or walk across the corridors. They’ve never talked, much less make eye contact. That was perhaps partly due to the nature of their work and their schedules, but the bigger culprit was that neither of them had ever made a move to approach each other.

Now, however, with this distance and in this very specific circumstance, Sorey realized there was no way he could escape it anymore, no matter how much he might have started to forget it in the back of his mind. This was the dolphin pool; it was normal that their trainer would be here. His ‘luck’ may have managed to make it so that they never met, but this meeting was inevitable back from when Mason had first led Sorey inside the room.

For the moment though, all Sorey could do was stare. As much as he’d accepted that him ever getting in a relationship with the guy he liked was a near impossibility due to the difference in their status, some part of his heart still fantasized… still _hoped_ , that a miracle could occur.

“You’re Sorey, right?”

Still in shock and lost in his thoughts, it took Sorey a few seconds to process the words, and when he did, his mind went into overdrive again. The Siren knew his name? How…? Is he in the middle of one of his dreams right now?

Somehow, he still had some presence of mind left remaining to be able to answer, “Y-yeah, I am. And you’re… Mikleo.”

The odd reply caused the trainer to arch an eyebrow. Sorey wanted to faint. Or maybe rush out of the door right now. The conflict of possible actions instead kept his confused body frozen in place.

“That’s right.” Mikleo walked closer towards him. He balanced the box underneath one arm, so he could hold out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Sorey’s body seemed like it was on autopilot as he accepted the handshake. While he was still mostly confused and dazed, he could at least feel just how soft Mikleo’s hand was in comparison to his own callused ones, and much smaller too. And then he started thinking about how their hands fit together so well like this, and that sent his brain spiraling again. It stopped once Mikleo slowly let go of their linked hands and there was a distance between them once more. He felt a little sad about that.

“Mason told me about you and the arrangement he made with you. It’s fine with me as well, so you don’t need to worry about it.” Mikleo’s face, which Sorey had used to seeing so cool and carefully blank during his performances, softened. Sorey’s heart skipped a beat. “Thank you for offering to help out.”

With the pounding of his heart drumming so loudly in his ears, Sorey couldn’t control his stutter. “S-sure.”

And with that, Mikleo turned back around and began walking away from Sorey into the direction of the pool. No longer within range of Mikleo’s ethereal bubble, Sorey could finally breathe and get his heartbeat to slow down.

For a first close meeting with his crush, that… went relatively well. Sorey didn’t do too much to embarrass himself and he was able to answer back. Though in his fantasies, he kind of envisioned himself being more suave and possibly sweeping Mikleo into his arms and then they’d go off riding on a horse towards the sunset together…

Oh god, was he daydreaming? He shook his head quickly to re-orient himself. Though now that he got acquainted with Mikleo and established an event that would make them see each other more often, it looks like those dreams weren’t going to stop anytime soon.  

* * *

 

Sorey had thought it would be impossible, but apparently it was possible for him to ease up in Mikleo’s presence.

While the first few times had been as nervy as the initial meeting, Sorey found himself getting less intimated and able to act more comfortably while working with Mikleo as time went on. Sure, he was his crush… but he was still a co-worker, just like Rose and Mason and the others that Sorey had become so friendly with. The same held true for Mikleo, despite the neutral and professional appearance he seemed to maintain.

Initially, their chats were light and mostly related to work and their daily happenings, but that had become more animated and engaging once Sorey came to one of the regular cleaning sessions and surprisingly caught Mikleo with his schoolbooks and, in turn, found he was majoring in archaeology. Being a resident of the mountainous region of Elysia where old ruins and architecture were in abundance, Sorey had developed a passion for exploration and history, even if he couldn’t pursue an education for it. Finding out Mikleo had the same interest was a dream come true. His knowledge couldn’t possibly compare to Mikleo’s yet Mikleo seemed to enjoy debating with him about the facts and discoveries of ruins, and even lent Sorey some of his books. For Sorey, who had to give up on his personal dream for the sake of his family, he couldn’t be happier about this development.

“Hi there, Atakk, Acqua.” Sorey chuckled as he knelt by the edge of the dolphin pool. The dolphins seemed to greet him back with their happy chirping. His friendship-of-sorts with Mikleo from their mutual passion for archaeology led to the trainer introducing him to his charges, even teaching him how to feed and take care of them. He threw fish from the nearby bucket to each dolphin and then beckoned them to come closer, so he could pat them… which they did. Mikleo had taught him some of the basic tricks with the dolphins, and the experiences had led to Sorey treating the pair like they were his friends as much as his human co-workers were. The dolphins obviously felt the same. Atakk rose up with wave of his flippers, nudging Sorey’s hand. Some water splashed at him but Sorey didn’t mind and laughed as he acquiesced to the animal’s request for more fish.

The door opened, and Mikleo strode in, greeted by the scene above. He paused in his tracks and remained there as Sorey turned his head to look once the opening of the door registered in his head.

Sorey blinked. Was that a fond shimmer in Mikleo’s eyes? He inched his head in curiosity but that seemed to have snapped Mikleo back to his usual expression, and the tender look was gone. Maybe he just imagined it, after all.

“Hello,” Mikleo greeted once he had arrived to Sorey’s side. He extended a greeting to the dolphins as well. Mikleo’s tone with the dolphins was always full of affection and care; it made Sorey think that Mason’s story about how Mikleo worked at the aquarium because he liked the dolphins to be true, and he adored Mikleo even more for it. “Have you already started cleaning up?”

“Yeah.” Sorey smiled back. “These guys just looked like they were hungry and really pleading that I had no choice but to give in.”

Mikleo gave a small, amused smirk. “Dolphins are intelligent animals, you know. Don’t let them manipulate you too much.”

“Ahaha…” Sorey scratched at his cheek. Was he really that gullible?

“But well, I suppose they do have a reason to be hungrier than usual. I’ve had them training more lately for the upcoming anniversary celebration of the aquarium.”

“Oh, yeah…” Sorey nodded. Alisha had announced that a couple days ago, and the animal trainers and exhibit guides have been in a flurry of activity since to spruce up their workspaces. Sorey himself was tasked with a lot as well, such as scrubbing the glass walls and sweeping the entire complex till they were sparkling clean as well as attaching streamers and banners all over the place. He still wasn’t finished yet, but he just couldn’t give up his regular dolphin pool cleaning session. Not when it had become the most wonderful part of his daily work day, mostly because it was the precious time where he could be with Mikleo. Which is why he was here, having made time in his schedule to still come to the pool.

“That’s right. So, we need to work extra hard too.” Mikleo beckoned to Sorey, who stood up immediately with a smile. 

* * *

 

Sorey whistled a low tune as he mopped the corridor that had the sea turtles on exhibit. Tomorrow was finally the aquarium’s anniversary. Most of the cleaning needed to be finished today so that he only had minor sweeping to do tomorrow, so with vigor and some excitement, he went about his task.

He had to take pause when he spotted somebody walking up the pathway. Which he found weird because he was confident he put up the ‘wet floor’ and ‘no entry – cleaning ongoing’ sign by the entrance. The staff knew well enough to keep out when it was cleaning time. Maybe this person was a lost visitor?

Although… Sorey hated to judge honestly, but this big, portly man didn’t look lost as he looked at the swimming turtles not with wonder but with disdain.

Still, he had a duty as a member of staff to assist visitors. So, he carefully walked over in front of the huge guy and politely said, “Sir, pardon me, but this area is currently closed and undergoing cleaning.” Sorey didn’t let his disappointment upon seeing the area he had already mopped clean earlier now ruined by the man’s dirty shoe tracks show up in his face. “Feel free to tour through the other open exhibit halls, someone on staff can guide you there.”

The sneer on the man’s face was redirected from the glass walls and onto Sorey as he said, “Hmph. Are you telling me what to do, when you’re just a lowly janitor at this dump? You’re the lowest of the low, you think you can speak to me like that?”

“Umm…” Wow, talk about an overreaction. Any other person would have probably felt insulted and retaliated for that remark, but thankfully Sorey had the patience and forgiving heart of a holy man. So, his next course of action was to placate the obviously irate and rude man. “That wasn’t my intention, Sir.”

“Tch. I’m not some hapless tourist, I’m here inspecting the area for my boss Bartlow, who will be owning this place by the end of tomorrow. So, bug off!” He shoved Sorey to the side so hard he stumbled against the aquarium wall.

The man’s words confused Sorey but he couldn’t ponder on them while he was still reeling from the impact. He could think on that later, but for now, he couldn’t let the guy get further in. Wheezing, he could barely get a word out to ask the man to wait.

But it seemed like that wasn’t necessary, as the man himself had frozen in his tracks.

When Sorey was finally able to move closer to look, he could see that was not quite as figurative. The icy glare that Mikleo was directing at the portly man could create icebergs.

Mikleo’s tone was calm, but the anger beneath could still be clearly grasped. “I believe there was a sign by the entrance that said only staff members can currently enter this corridor. Are you unable to read, Mister Landon?”

Sorey gasped, afraid that Mikleo could possibly get hurt by that sharp remark. To his immense surprise however, the man he now knew as Landon didn’t retaliate physically, opting instead to shake in anger and growl. There was fear in the man’s eyes as he stared back at Mikleo, something that was absent in his looks towards Sorey earlier. Despite Mikleo’s smaller and leaner frame compared to Sorey, Landon was actually _intimidated_ by him. Which is likely why he was the one to budge first and turn around, snarling, “Fine! We can have the leisure of inspecting this place later anyway, once you chumps are out of here.”

He stomped away loudly back to the entrance, though the scary manner of departure was slightly ruined by him skidding on the wet floor on the way. Once Landon was completely gone, Sorey could finally heave a sigh of relief. However, he soon jolted a little from a light touch on his arm, finding Mikleo close, his face now soft and his violet eyes swimming in worry. “Are you all right?”

Sorey was a bit dazed from the difference in expression from earlier. He could feel a shiver run up his spine when the image of Mikleo’s tranquil fury flashed back in his brain. When Mikleo prompted with an even more concerned “Sorey?”, he urged himself to tear his focus away from his inner thoughts. He gave Mikleo the best reassuring smile he could manage. “I’m all right. Thank you, Mikleo.”

Mikleo didn’t look completely convinced so Sorey tried standing up straighter and widened his smile. “I’m fine, don’t worry!” He still seemed like he was having second thoughts but eventually relented, removing his hand on Sorey’s arm. Sorey had a momentary pang of regret that he dismissed in favor of talking. “Who was that guy? I’m surprised he didn’t try to hurt you too.” He replayed his words over his head and hurriedly tacked on. “Uhh, not that I’m saying that’s a bad thing. I’m actually glad he didn’t.”

Mikleo huffed. “One of Bartlow’s lackeys. He’s much higher up from the ones who usually come over here. But as you saw, he’s no different and will turn tail if you scare him off.”

“I’m amazed that you could do that.” Sorey couldn’t do anything by himself before, and now he feels a little embarrassed that Mikleo had to rescue him from the situation.

The trainer crossed his arms. “He’s just scared that I’ll tell my uncle about him. Same as Bartlow.”

Sorey recalled Mason saying that Mikleo’s uncle was some powerful guy but he didn’t realize the extent of that power. Just who or what was Mikleo’s uncle?

“While I’d love to do that because it would easily solve our problems, I don’t really want to bother my uncle with this, so we’ll just have to endure the trouble they keep stirring up.” His eyes turned downcast. “But now I wonder if I should have done that earlier… if it meant that you getting hurt like this would have never happened.”

Sorey’s eyes widened, seeing the guilt clear as day on Mikleo’s expression. Hesitantly, he put his hand on Mikleo’s shoulder, causing the smaller guy to look up at him. “Hey… Don’t wear yourself out worrying about that, okay? It’s over now, he’s gone and I’m just fine.” He waited for Mikleo’s anxious expression to turn up into a smile before he let go.

“Thank you, Sorey.”

Mikleo’s smile was beautiful and he really should do it more often, he thought idly. He could feel his own happiness bursting in his racing heart at the sight. “I should be the one to say that since you saved me from Landon.” The mention of the rude man got Sorey recalling his words, making confusion and worry well up within him once more. “Wait, what did he mean by Bartlow owning this place tomorrow? The aquarium owner is Alisha.”

The question turned Mikleo’s expression into a troubled one, and Sorey almost regretted his question at the loss of Mikleo’s smile. “That’s… Well, I suppose there’s no point in hiding it from you thanks to what happened.”

He took a deep breath, seemingly to prepare himself for recounting a tale. “Only a few of the staff know this but… Bartlow’s made a move to buy out this place.”

Sorey’s eyes widened. “He can do that?”

“Normally he should not be. The aquarium is registered to Alisha’s name, so she’s the one to decide whether to sell it or not. And I, along with everyone else, trust her to never do that. Putting aside the high possibility that the money Bartlow’s planning to use to buy the place came from underhanded means, the aquarium though is still a property of the Diphda Corporation as a whole. You could say that Alisha is just the member of the group that is responsible for it. So Bartlow’s turned to the board of directors, saying that the aquarium wasn’t bringing income and he could change that if he were to be in charge instead.” He sighed. “I think you realize as much as we do that if the business-minded Bartlow were to do that, he would kick everyone out in favor of his lackeys, tear the aquarium down and replace it with some commercial building.”

The janitor gasped. “What!? But what about all the workers here? And the animals?”

Mikleo frowned. “Hmph. Do you honestly expect him to care about that? Furthermore, the reason he is presenting to the board isn’t even his true intention. He just wants to show off and put down Alisha because he doesn’t like her competence overshadowing him.”

He could feel the panic settle in. “Wh-what should we do?”

“Alisha’s trying her best to convince the board to reconsider, but words aren’t enough for people like those. Tangible results are needed. Which means money.” Mikleo ran a hand through his hair. “Which we’re hoping we’ll get a lot tomorrow.”

Tomorrow, Sorey thought? Oh, the anniversary. He nearly forgot due to the crazy events that just transpired with Landon and all the things Mikleo had just been telling him.

“That’s why tomorrow’s important for several reasons. It’s a momentous occasion, but it’s also our last chance to keep this place standing. If tomorrow’s event isn’t a success, it might just be the last straw, figuratively speaking.” Mikleo’s gaze seemed distant as his eyes traced the slow swim course of a turtle. “I’m going to do the best I can tomorrow so that the aquarium won’t close down.” 

The sheer conviction and determination in Mikleo’s tone got Sorey pondering.

He hadn’t been working here for as long as Mikleo did… but he could honestly admit that he too had gotten attached to the place.

To the beauty and comfort that it provided, to the animals that lived in it, and most especially the people he worked with, who were no longer just plain co-workers but also his friends.

That’s why he could share the sentiment that Mikleo had. He didn’t want the aquarium to disappear either.

Even if there was some part of his heart that was telling him that the big reason he wanted to save the aquarium too was that he’d no longer be able to work with and see Mikleo if it was gone, it didn’t change the fact that he also didn’t want Bartlow’s evil plan to triumph.

“I…” He broke the silence that had fallen between them, catching Mikleo’s attention as well. “I don’t want the aquarium to close down either.” His green eyes, blazing with the same determination that Mikleo had earlier, entranced the dolphin trainer into a stupor. “I’m just a janitor so I might not be able to help out much with the problem the aquarium has. But still…  I swear I’m going to do my best tomorrow too!”

Mikleo blinked, mouth slightly open in shock. Eventually, he snapped back to reality and gave Sorey an approving nod and a tender smile.

Sorey grinned back, even if his heart was currently doing backflips like Atakk and Acqua did on the water. 

* * *

 

Just as he hoped, the aquarium was packed with visitors in this fine Saturday morning, partaking in the celebration of the aquarium’s anniversary. Sorey belatedly realized that having more visitors meant more trash for him to collect and more spills to mop up, but he didn’t care. After what he learned from Mikleo yesterday, he didn’t even consider reneging on the vow he made. He wanted the day to be a success for the aquarium. And while he was not a member of the staff that could directly contribute to its earnings like the animal keepers or exhibit tour guides could, his job was still part of the organization that kept the place running, and anything less than his best effort wouldn’t do.

He was currently in the staff area where he kept his cleaning supplies, making sure that everything was all stocked up and ready to go, when the door burst open.

“Sorey!”

Turning at the call of his name, Sorey found Rose running towards him. “There you are!”

“Rose? What’s wrong?” He took note of the way she stopped in front of him, bracing her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. She looked like she’d run laps on the perimeter of the aquarium.

She also looked grim as she straightened up. “Sorey, we’ve got big trouble.”

Green eyes widened. “Are Bartlow’s henchmen here?” That was definitely trouble. But Rose’s group could and should have taken care of them so easily.

“No, Eguille’s keeping them at bay at the gates. They’re not the problem,” she replied easily, easing Sorey’s fears on that front. “This is something else. And Sorey, you might be the only one who can help.”

“Me?” He echoed, surprised.

“Yeah. I know it’s too much to ask of you when your job is supposed to be cleaning up but… the anniversary might be ruined if we can’t resolve this.”

“I’ll do it.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll do it.” Sorey repeated, putting his hands over Rose’s shoulders, his gaze determined. “If it’s for the sake of aquarium, I’ll do it.” He glanced to the side for a bit at his supplies, letting his hands fall to his sides. “Uh, as long as you’re sure the place will be fine without me doing my usual cleaning work. I don’t want to get reprimanded.” He chuckled nervously.

Rose’s face visibly brightened. “Don’t worry, Alisha won’t do that. In fact, she’d be happier if you would do this instead. Are you sure you’re fine with helping out?”

He nodded.

“Do you promise?” She looked unusually serious, which got Sorey’s head tilting. But he remembered the situation at hand and nodded again. “I promise.”

Rose’s smile widened into her usual cattish grin. “Great! Thanks a lot, Sorey!” She grabbed his wrist and yanked him with surprisingly strong force. “No time to waste. Come on!”

Confused, Sorey decided to keep his questions to himself and let Rose pull him outside. 

* * *

 

Rose led him to one of the upper floor offices. Sorey’s stay within these walls was limited to the times he got assigned to clean them when they were devoid of people early in the morning and late at night. She knocked on the door to their right before grabbing the knob and pushing past the unlocked door. Sorey lingered behind her. “Lailah, I’ve brought him!”

The room was empty, save for a single occupant. A lady. The first thing Sorey noticed about her was her long, flowing hair, which nearly touched the floor. She was browsing through what appeared to be a sketchbook, but looked up and turned to them when they entered.

“Hello, I’m Sorey,” he said, flashing his best friendly smile.

“Please call me Lailah.” She returned the introduction kindly. Her voice had a motherly, gentle tone, melting away any nervousness Sorey might have felt. “I wish we could get more acquainted, but unfortunately we are in the midst of a small crisis right now. Are you really willing to help?”

Sorey scratched his cheek. “Well, Rose didn’t exactly tell me what it is I can help you guys for, but I personally would help anyone in need if it’s within my ability to do so, even without my promise to Rose.”

Lailah’s eyes softened. “Thank you for your offer, Sorey.” She stood up and clasped her hands. “All right then, I need to check something first.”

“Okay…” Sorey watched uncertainly as Lailah circled him slowly, her sea-green eyes scanning him from top to toe. He resisted the urge to fidget under her scrutiny, internally wondering what she was looking for.

Once she was back in front of him though, he could no longer prevent himself from taking a step back as she flashed an excited grin that bordered on manic.

Was this really the same demure lady from minutes ago?

“You’re a perfect fit!” Lailah exclaimed with sparkling eyes.

“Fit for wha—“ Sorey didn’t get to finish his question once Lailah grabbed his arm and pulled him along with a strength that belied her gentle appearance. “Rose!” He turned to his friend, feeling a little panic setting in. “What’s going on?”

Rose laughed, blue eyes twinkling in mischief. “Don’t worry, you’ll know soon enough! And don’t forget that you promised to help, so no backing out of this!”

As he was dragged out of the room, Sorey found himself wondering just what he’d signed himself up for. 

* * *

 

“O-ow, ow, ow!”

“Oh! I’m sorry, Sorey.” Lailah murmured. “But we can keep that from happening again if you would stay still, please?”

“I know, but…”

“There’s no need for you to feel nervous. You look absolutely _dashing_ , Sorey. See?”

Sorey allowed his eyes to follow what Lailah was gesturing to – the large, body mirror hanging on the wall. He wasn’t sure if he agreed with her assessment of his appearance. What exactly qualified as dashing?

To be fair though, he’d never imagined his poor, unsophisticated self ever wearing something like _this_.

 _This_ … being a very gallant white double-breasted suit jacket, lined with gold thread. A neatly folded white cravat was tucked carefully around his neck. The red decorative patches on his shoulders drew eyes to follow the clasps on it to the short cape draped on his back, white on the outside but a bright, majestic red on the inside. Tentatively, he raised one white-gloved hand to his ear, fiddling with his earring out of habit. He had offered earlier to take it off, but Lailah gently rebuffed him, saying that it actually added a unique charm to the dress he was wearing. Though he was still awed at how Lailah was able to procure a pair of crimson-dyed feathers to temporarily replace the light orange ones usually hanging there.

He reminded himself to remain still as Lailah, needles clenched between her teeth, snapped a safety pin under the red cloth belt around his torso. She then patted down the cloth of his white pants, brushing off both dirt and creases on it and checked that the hems were neatly tucked into his boots. A bit more brushing imaginary dust off his back and then she gently laid her hands on his shoulders. “There we go, your magic transformation is complete!” Lailah giggled.

Sorey couldn’t help laughing along. “I guess it does feel like that. You’re amazing, Lailah.”

She beamed. “Thank you. But there is still a lot more you need to do, and I do hope you can do your best to succeed.”

“Oh, right…” Come to think of it, he hadn’t been told all the details. “What’s this costume supposed to be for, anyway?”

Before Lailah could answer though, voices floated in from beyond the door.

“Edna, is it true that Rose found someone to take the role?”

“Yeah. So, it seems we don’t have to cancel. He’s in here.”

The door swung open, revealing none other than a short girl that Sorey knew to be the sea turtle keeper and…

“M… Mikleo!?”

“S-Sorey!?”

If Sorey wasn’t so shocked himself, he would likely have been wondering more about the light red staining Mikleo’s cheeks or the way his violet eyes gazed up and down at Sorey’s body. Alas, he was stuck in his own stupor. How could he not, when he never would have thought Mikleo could look even more gorgeous than he already normally was… _when his hair was long and pulled into a ponytail like that._

It was likely a wig because there was no way Mikleo’s normally short hair would have magically grown in length overnight, but the colours of it melded so well with Mikleo’s natural own. Wavy, soft-looking strands tipped with blue framed his lovely face, which Sorey would honestly just love to stare at for the rest of the day. Mikleo did not look human, he looked like some sort of otherworldly siren risen from the water’s surface to bless Sorey’s eyes with his looks.

Edna took a glance at each boy’s dumbstruck face before her lips stretched into a smirk. She turned to Sorey and said, “So you’re the replacement who’s going to perform with Meebo in the special dolphin show?”

That snapped Sorey out of his trance, eyes widened. “I’m going to WHAT!?”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Three guesses who's bad at acting (the first two don't count) and will ensure that the next chapter is going to be a hilarious disaster? 8D Comedy is penciled in for the next chapter for sure, but will there be romance too? Hmm, guess you'll all just have to wait and look forward to it! For now, have this preview to hopefully get you excited for it! Thank you for reading so far!
> 
> _“My name is Sorey. I’m---” Oh wow, look at that water dripping off Mikleo’s eyelashes... “I’m the…” His eyes followed the trail of a droplet sliding from Mikleo’s bangs, down his face and to his shiny, soft lips. Oh god._
> 
> _“Sorey, focus!” Rose hissed in his earpiece._
> 
> _Oh shit. What was his next line again? Panicking as he tried to recall, he shook his head and yelled, “I’m the son of a provincial LARD!”_
> 
> _He blinked. Wait, what did he just say?_
> 
> _Rose’s raucous laughter filled one of his ears. He could feel his face heat up in embarrassment as he looked back down to Mikleo, who had an eyebrow raised in confusion. He tried to ignore the snickers and fond chuckles from the audience. “Lord! I meant Lord!”_


End file.
